Blessed Trinity Catholic High School
Latin and Art History Trip to Italy

June 1, 2009 – June 10, 2009

$3,400 ($300 deposit due now! Final payment due April 1, 2009)

To sign up for this trip, download the sign up form here.

For questions, please contact Mountain Butorac
404.717.2460 or mtn@thecatholictraveler.com.

Monday, June 1, 2009
Depart Atlanta on Lufthansa flight 445. We’ll have a brief layover in Frankfurt before transferring to Lufthansa flight 3844 to Rome.

Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Rome: We’ll start our trip in early Christian Rome with a visit to the San Callisto Catacombs. Our guide will lead us underground to where so many early Christians, including six popes and Saint Cecilia, were laid to rest. Then we’ll visit Saint Paul’s burial place, Saint Paul Outside the Walls. We’ll visit the basilica of Saint Mary Major before an early dinner.

Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Rome: This morning we’ll attend the weekly Papal Audience (Pope’s schedule permitting). Then we’ll head into the Vatican Museums. Here we’ll see masterpieces from Michelangelo, Raphael, Botticelli, Leonardo, and more. We’ll spend some prayerful time in the Sistine Chapel before crossing over into Saint Peter’s Basilica. We’ll finish our visit inside the basilica allowing you the opportunity make the climb to the top of the dome.

Thursday, June 4, 2009
Rome / Pompeii / Rome : This morning we’ll leave our hotel for a full day excursion to Pompeii. We’ll tour the ruins of this ancient civilization that sits in the shadow of the volcano,Vesuvius. Back in Rome, we’ll take a leisurely stroll through the city at night. Rome is a different beauty when floodlit. We’ll visit the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona, the Pantheon and Saint Peter ’s Basilica.

Friday, June 5, 2009
Rome: We’ll leave early this morning and head to the cathedral of Rome,San Giovanni in Laterano. We’ll tour the pope’s church before crossing the street to ascend the Scala Santa, the stairs Christ climbed the day he was sentenced to death. We’ll continue meditating on the Passion of Christ as we walk to Santa Croce in Gerusalemme which holds relics of the Passion, including two thorns from the crown of thorns, a nail from the crucifixion, a portion of the Titulus, and pieces from the cross. From here we’ll dig in to Ancient Rome with a visit to the Colosseum and Roman Forum. We’ll also visit Mamertine Prison, which once held Saints Peter and Paul. We’ll end our trek through the Ancient City at the Pantheon.

Saturday, June 6, 2009
Assisi: We’ll depart Rome early this morning and travel by train into Umbria. Our first stop is the church of Santa Maria degli Angeli to visit the Porziuncola, where St . Francis founded the Order of the Friars Minor. From here, we’ll head up into Assisi. Today we’ll visit several churches including, San Francesco to visit the tomb of Saint Francis, San Ruffino, the cathedral of Assisi and where both Saint Francis and Saint Clare were baptized; Santa Chiara, where we’ll pray before the tomb of Saint Clare and the San Damiano Cross; and San Damiano, where Saint Francis was instructed to ‘rebuild the Church’. This evening you’ll be free to explore this peaceful town.

Sunday, June 7, 2009
Florence: This morning we’ll travel north to Florence. Once we are settled, we’ll head out across the Arno to the Accademia. Here we’ll see the trophy of the Renaissance, Michelangelo’s David. Later we’ll see the replica of David that was placed were Michelangelo intended, outside, rather than locked up in a museum. We’ll take a stroll through Florence this evening to sample some of Italy’s best gelato.

Monday, June 8, 2009
Florence: Today we’ll visit the ‘Who’s Who’ of Florence at the church of Santa Croce. Here we’ll see the tombs of Michelangelo and Galileo with funerary monuments to other hometown heros, Machiavelli and Dante. We’ll also visit the churches of Santa Maria Novella and Santa Maria del Santo Spirito. This afternoon you’ll have some time to explore Florence on your own.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Florence: This is the art capital of Europe and today we’ll journey back into the Renaissance with a visit to the Uffizi Gallery where we’ll see works by Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, Botticelli, and many more. This evening we’ll have our farewell dinner together.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009
This morning we depart on Lufthansa flight 4067 to Frankfurt. We’ll transfer to Lufthansa flight 444 to Atlanta.

Roundtrip airfare.
Accommodations for 8 nights.
Breakfast daily plus 6 additional meals.
All group ground transportation.
Full time service of a guide.
Local guides per itinerary.
All tips for group meals, local guides, drivers, hotel staff.
Sightseeing tours, including admissions to sights seen as a group.
Tour Cancellation/Interruption Coverage.
All air departure and fuel taxes.